State lawsuit challenges end of general assistance payments for the poor.

Three low-income Pennsyvlanians and a host of human-services groups have filed a lawsuit in
Commonwealth Court challenging the constitutionality of a bill that ended Pennsylvania's general assistance program for the poor earlier this year. They're being represented by Community Legal Services in Philadelphia.

About 70,000 Pennsylvanians received payments of about $205 month through the program. Advocates said the money was the last line of defense for many beneificiaries.

The Corbett administration argued that the state could not afford to keep the program and hoped the beneficiaries would be absorbed into other county-run human services program.

It was noted in my county that the Department of Public Welfare could not come up with the money to continue to fund the Medicare Assistance Transportation Program for $187,000--not a very large sum either when you consider general costs. (And when you consider the administrative fiancial give-aways to the oil, gas and energy companies within the state)

This vital program had been in place and aided the physically disabled, the disadvantaged, those with intellectual disabilities, the poor, and large numbers of isolated seniors in getting to their medical appointments.
It was shockingly left to fall away--the spokesperson for DPW came out and said "there is no money."
I do believe this was within this year.

Posted By: Mrs J | Oct 3, 2012 3:50:16 PM

Yes, bet PA spent more than that on implementation of Voter ID law.

Posted By: Adrian Seltzer | Oct 3, 2012 10:42:43 AM

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